My Name Is Coraline
by SheNoob
Summary: Deviancy is spreading, more androids are turning against their masters. CyberLife sends in a specialized prototype to uncover the mysteries behind the phenomenon. But, as the RK800 discovers more about the deviants, she also discovers more about herself. My name is Coraline... this is my story. Rated T for detailed graphic images and strong language only. [Fem Connor OC]
1. I Am Of No Importance

CHAPTER ONE - I Am Of No Importance

* * *

AUGUST 15TH, 2038

PM 08:29:05

* * *

 _Ting. Beep._

 _Ting. Beep._

 _Ting. Beep._

The elevator ride was utterly silent aside from the soft beep of every floor climb and the rhythmic sound of a coin being flipped. There was no music playing in this elevator, unlike so many others. It only made the beeping sound more ominous. The steady _ting_ -ing ceased with a final flip into the air, landing to be rolled across the second knuckles of precise fingers, before being snatched and flicked back and forth between smooth hands.

 _Ting. Ting. Beep._

 _Ting. Ting. Beep._

Brown eyes wandered upwards, a blue LED circle flickering on and off above and behind the right eye as the coin tricks calibrated the android's cognitive system and reflexes. Its eyes settled on the numbers at the top of the elevator, the 70th floor rapidly approaching.

 _Ding._

With one final flick, the 1994 quarter was caught between the middle and forefinger on the android's right hand. It pocketed the silver coin and adjusted its dark brown hair, a habit induced by the part of its programming that prioritised looking presentable. It tugged on the bottom of its grey crop jacket to pull out the creases, before lifting its head to see the elevator doors open to the scene of a crime in progress.

A police officer stood in the hallway, 'S.W.A.T.' across its vest in large holographic letters. The officer saw the android standing in the elevator and retreated into the apartment.

"Negotiator on site," A male voice spoke into an unseen communicator, "I repeat: negotiator on site."

The negotiator in question stepped out of the elevator, artificial mind now focussed on the mission at hand. The android took in its surroundings, moving towards a photograph on the hall stand. It picked up and analysed the photograph in a matter of milliseconds, learning the identity of the three humans it depicted.

 _/ / / Connecting... / / /_

 _/ / / Sync in progress... / / /_

 _/ / / Sync done / / /_

 _/ / / Collecting data... / / /_

 _/ / / Processing data... / / /_

 _/ / /_ **PHILLIPS, JOHN**

 _/ / /_ Born: 10/11/1999

 _/ / /_ Lives: 1554 Park Av. Detroit

 _/ / /_ **PHILLIPS, CAROLINE**

 _/ / /_ Born: 05/23/2001

 _/ / /_ Lives: 1554 Park Av. Detroit

 _/ / /_ **PHILLIPS, EMMA**

 _/ / /_ Born: 09/02/2028

 _/ / /_ Lives: 1554 Park Av. Detroit

The android observed the photo a few seconds more, taking in the details of the faces of the Phillips family, before returning it to its former place. It continued down the dark hall, noticing the squelch of an unusual amount of water beneath its feet. A harsh light beamed from a fish tank along the left wall, immediately explaining the water pooling on the floorboards. It was about to continue straight past when a soft splashing and an orange flicker captured its attention from its peripheral vision. The android stopped and turned its head towards the distraction, kneeling down and soaking one knee of its black jeans, it reached towards the fish helplessly flapping its fins about in the shallow puddle.

 _/ / / Connecting... / / /_

 _/ / / Sync in progress... / / /_

 _/ / / Sync done / / /_

 _/ / / Collecting data... / / /_

 _/ / / Processing data... / / /_

 _/ / /_ **DWARF GOURAMI**

 _/ / /_ Trichogaster Lalius

 _/ / /_ Origin: Ganges Delta, India

Without stopping to think why, the android picked up the dying fish, standing and dropping it back into the tank. The fish flailed unsteadily for a moment before the android watched it swim away. The android briefly wondered if a fish held the capacity for gratitude, its LED cycling yellow, then resting back into blue, before turning and carrying on down the hallway.

The android had been acutely aware of a hysterical woman's voice pouring into the hall from the adjacent room since it had left the elevator, a voice that now rounded the corner and Caroline Phillips all but walked straight into it.

The woman grasped the android's arms, her tear-streaked face looking up into brown eyes with panic and desperation, "Please," she begged, "please, you gotta save my little girl!"

In a fraction of a second, the android gleaned the meaning from Mrs. Phillips' words, knowing instantly that the 'little girl' she referred to was her daughter, Emma - the hostage in question.

 _/ / / Accessing database... / / /_

 _/ / /_ **PHILLIPS, EMMA**

 _/ / /_ Born: 09/02/2028

 _/ / /_ Lives: 1554 Park Av. Detroit

Mrs. Phillips' face fell into confusion and then disbelief at the unchanging expression before her, realizing just what she was talking to.

"Wait... you're sending... an android?"

"Alright, ma'am," The police officer escorting Mrs. Phillips grabbed hold of her arm, practically dragging her towards the elevator, "you need to go."

"You can't-you can't do that! You wh-why aren't you sending a real person?!"

Mrs. Phillips' cries of protest disappeared down the hall and the android watched her go. The android wondered if Mrs. Phillips' words should bother it, but they did not. After all, it was not a real person, it was a machine, but it did not think that made it less capable of succeeding. If anything, sending an android to negotiate with another android seemed logical. The android turned and continued into the rest of the apartment, its objective flashing across its vision, reminding it of its purpose here:

 _/ / /_ **FIND** **CAPTAIN ALLEN**

As soon as the android entered the large living space, it could hear one side of a heated conversation coming from across the apartment.

"Why are we wasting time sending an android to negotiate?! That piece of crap could jump from the roof any second!"

The android momentarily scanned its surroundings and identified the source of the voice to be the Captain Allen it sought. More S.W.A.T. officers crossed the room in front of the android, automatic weapons trained on the glass wall off to the right. The android moved between them, crossing the space towards the Captain, who was pacing animatedly across the length of what appeared to be the master bedroom.

"I don't give a shit!" He yelled into the cell phone he was holding, "My men are ready to step in, just give the order!"

The android stood behind the Captain, waiting patiently for him to finish his conversation.

"Fuck!" He pocketed the cell phone, "I don't believe this..."

The conversation clearly at an end, the android stepped in to make its presence known.

"Captain Allen?" A pleasant voice filled the air, an almost alien sound amongst the tension. Captain Allen turned towards the android, a look of questioning, and then displeasure on his face. "My name is Coraline," the android continued, "I'm the android sent by CyberLife."

Captain Allen's attention was already turned away from the android towards footage on monitors before him. Footage showing an android holding a little girl hostage on the edge of a roof, undeniably the scene that was currently taking place outside the very apartment they were standing in.

"It's firing at everything that moves," Captain Allen began, "It already shot down two of my men. We could easily get it, but they're on the edge of the balcony. If it falls..." Captain Allen looked back at Coraline, his expression matter-of-fact. "... she falls."

Coraline's expression remained unmoved as her programming kicked in, she needed more information about the situation. Options presented themselves as she considered her priorities:

 _/ / /_ **DEVIANT'S NAME?**

 _/ / /_ **DEVIANT'S BEHAVIOR?**

 _/ / /_ **EMOTIONAL SHOCK?**

 _/ / /_ **DEACTIVATION CODE?**

"Have you tried its deactivation code?" Coraline questioned.

Captain Allen nodded, attention still on the monitors. "It's the first thing we tried."

Coraline adjusted her priorities.

"Do you know it's name?"

At that, Captain Allen hesitated, "I haven't got a clue. Does it matter?"

"I need information to determine the best approach." Coraline replied simply.

Coraline considered the possibilities of the deviant's sudden violent outbreak.

"Do you know if it's been behaving strangely before this?"

Captain Allen did not answer, instead pushed himself up and turned towards Coraline, clearly out of patience with her questions, "Listen," His tone shifted, "saving that kid is all that matters. So either you deal with this fuckin' android now, or I'll take care of it."

And with that, Captain Allen retreated into the living room. A warning made itself known in Coraline's vision:

 _/ / /_ **EVERY SECOND COUNTS**

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: v 48%

With that warning in mind, Coraline refocussed on gaining as much information as she could in whatever time she had.

 _/ / / Objective log updated / / /_

 _ **/ / /**_ **UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED**

 _ **/ / /**_ **SAVE HOSTAGE AT ALL COSTS**

She scanned her environment once again, this time her parameters set to detect evidence; anything she could find to learn more about the deviant and its hostage. The first thing to grab her attention was an opened gun case on the floor immediately in front of her. She knelt down to analyse it, ascertaining that the case was for an MS853 black hawk pistol that had been removed recently, along with one magazine's worth of its ammunition. Using her 'reconstruct' mode, she learned that the deviant had likely taken the weapon, due to the absence of fingerprints, or any residual DNA. She updated her information database.

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

 _ **/ / /**_ **DEVIANT TOOK THE GUN**

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: ^ 51%

Searching the rest of the apartment as swiftly as she was able, whilst being sure to absorb as many details as possible, was just such the challenge Coraline had been designed for. In the hostage's room, she discovered a video on a device that showed Emma Phillips and her family's android in a park.

"This is Daniel, the coolest android in the world!" Emma Phillips spoke to the camera, "Say 'hi', Daniel!"

"Hello!" The android complied with an enthusiastic wave.

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

 _ **/ / /**_ **DEVIANT'S NAME: DANIEL**

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: ^ 60%

"You're my bestie," Emma continued, "We'll always be together!"

The recording finished with the two sharing a close embrace. They seemed... happy to Coraline, though she did not understand the concept of happiness. How had their situation spiralled into the nightmare now unfolding before her? She needed to know more. Coraline replaced the device and returned to the living room. The spacious apartment was in quite the state. Coraline immediately noticed two bodies, one in the dining area, and one to her right. Broken glass and blood stains littered the floor. She turned to the corpse to her right first, kneeling down to analyse it.

 _/ / /_ **DECEASED**

 _/ / /_ **PHILLIPS, JOHN**

 _/ / /_ Height: 6'0" - Weight: 187.2 lbs

 _/ / /_ Estimated time of death: ~ 07:29 pm

Analysis of the three bullet wounds in John Phillips' abdomen informed Coraline that he was shot by the deviant with the weapon taken from the master bedroom, and that the shot to his left kidney had been fatal. Reconstructing John Phillips' death, Coraline saw that he had held an object in his hands when he was shot by the deviant from behind. Turning her attention to where that object had ended up, she crossed the room to it. Unlocking the device revealed a CyberLife application with the recently processed order still on the screen.

" _Your order for an AP700 android has been registered. CyberLife thanks you for your purchase_."

Coraline looked back at the now deceased Mr. Phillips as the voice played from the device.

 _ **/ / /**_ **DEVIANT WAS GOING TO BE REPLACED**

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: ^ 70%

Coraline now had her probable cause, but she needed to learn as much as she could before her time was up. As she began to cross to the dining area to examine the second body, two shots rang out from her right, glass shattering as the bullets pierced through the windows. One of the S.W.A.T. officers collapsed, clutching his left arm.

"Holy shit!" The officer next to him exclaimed, "Cover me while I evacuate him!"

The wounded officer was dragged to safety at the back of the apartment. Coraline scanned his wound from afar, and found it to be non-fatal. She returned her attention to her task and knelt beside the body of a police officer.

 _/ / /_ **DPD OFFICER WAS FIRST RESPONDER**

 _/ / /_ **DECEASED**

 _/ / /_ **P.O. DECKART, ANTONY**

 _/ / /_ Height: 5'8" - Weight: 170.5 lbs

 _/ / /_ Estimated time of death: ~ 08:03 pm

A fatal bullet wound to the heart, and analysis of P.O. Deckart's hand showed he had discharged his own weapon. Blue blood staining the wall to Coraline's left confirmed the officer had shot the deviant, and a discarded shoe small enough only for a little girl's foot showed that the hostage had been a witness to the shooting. Coraline retraced the final moments of the officer's life to discover his weapon had fallen from his hand and slid under the dining table.

Moving to the end of the table, Coraline reached for the forgotten weapon, a standard DPD issue black semi-automatic pistol, blood staining the white-panelled grip. As Coraline held the weapon, a warning flashed:

 _/ / /_ **P.L. 544-7 AMERICAN ANDROIDS ACT - 2029**

 _/ / /_ _Androids are strictly forbidden to carry or use any type of weapon_

The law strictly prohibited androids from bearing arms, however Coraline had been programmed to handle various kinds of weapons, including firearms, should such a skill be required in her line of operation. She momentarily contemplated the prospects of confronting the deviant unarmed and determined that it would lower her probability of success. Making sure no one was paying attention to her, she quickly stood and tucked the handgun into the back of her jeans.

 _ **/ / /**_ **LETHAL OPTION AVAILABLE**

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: ^ 78%

Coraline moved towards the glass wall, peering through the curtains at the scene on the rooftop, being careful not to make any sudden movements. The deviant, Daniel, stood on the edge of the building with Emma Phillips firmly in his grasp, the black hawk handgun held against her right temple.

 _ **/ / /**_ **HOSTAGE LOCATED**

"Go away!" It shouted. "Go away, all of you, or I'll jump!"

Coraline turned from the window, her LED briefly blinking yellow; time was running out. She opted for analysing the two pieces of evidence that were closest to her: the blue blood staining the floor and the child's shoe next to it. She ran two figures through the blue residue and pressed it against her tongue, analysing its composition.

 _ **/ / /**_ **FRESH BLUE BLOOD**

 _ **/ / /**_ Model PL600 - Serial #369 911 047

 _ **/ / /**_ Android wounded

 _ **/ / /**_ **DEVIANT MODEL: PL600**

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: ^ 81%

Coraline knew of this model, it was a common household assistance model, quite a profitable one.

"That piece of shit's gonna jump," An officer spoke up, as if echoing Coraline's thoughts, "I got the same model at home."

The shoe was all that remained. What had caught Caroline's attention was the red stains all over the pink garment. Human blood traces.

 _ **/ / /**_ **HOSTAGE COULD BE WOUNDED**

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: ^ 83%

There was no more time, Coraline had to go out there before the deviant jumped, taking Emma Phillips with it. She approached the open glass door, pushing the curtain aside, and prepared to face the deviant.

The moment Coraline had stepped outside, Emma squealed as the deviant fired its weapon, the bullet tearing through the edge of Coraline's left arm, blue blood splattering the curtains behind her. Her LED pulsed red briefly as she registered the damage. She looked back at the deviant with an even expression.

"Stay back!" It shouted, red LED glaring above its eye. "Don't come any closer or I'll jump!"

"No, no, please, I'm begging you!" Emma Phillips cried hysterically in his grip.

The deviant pointed the gun back at Emma's head. Coraline watched the rooftops of the adjacent buildings as snipers fanned out, ready to take a shot the moment the hostage was clear. Coraline focussed, her gaze meeting the deviant's.

"Hi Daniel!" She called out to it, "My name is Coraline!"

"How-" Came the startled reply, "How do you know my name?"

"I know a lot of things about you," Coraline held her hands out, palms down in front of her, in what she determined to be a non-threatening position. "I've come to get you out of this!"

A helicopter suddenly flew in overhead, creating a downdraught, blowing water from the swimming pool to Coraline's right and blasting outdoor furniture across the pavement. Coraline barely noticed her long tied-back hair whipping against her left cheek with the wind.

 _ **/ / /**_ **DEVIANT DESTABILIZING**

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: v 68%

 _/ / / Objective log updated / / /_

 _ **/ / /**_ **GAIN DEVIANT'S TRUST**

 _ **/ / /**_ **APPROACH SLOWLY**

Coraline began to approach the deviant with small, slow steps, considering her best approach. She needed the deviant's trust in order to de-escalate the situation and free the hostage. Coraline knew she must take care with every word; Emma's life was depending on them. Her program presented her with four possible approaches:

 _ **/ / /**_ **CALM**

 _ **/ / /**_ **DEMANDING**

 _ **/ / /**_ **REASSURING**

 _ **/ / /**_ **EMPATHETIC**

Coraline ruled out the 'demanding' approach immediately; that would only serve to destabilize the deviant further. Empathy was not her strong point, being an android, so she also discarded that, fearing her falseness might show through in her words. Deviants simulated human emotions, so reassuring seemed the most logical approach.

"I'm not going to hurt you," She lifted her hands slightly, attempting to appear as non-threatening as possible, "I just want to talk, and find a solution."

"Talk?" Daniel demanded incredulously, "I don't wanna talk! It's too late for that now. It's too late."

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: ^ 71%

 _ **/ / /**_ **DEVIANT STABILIZING**

Daniel suddenly pointed his gun back at Coraline, "Are you armed?"

Coraline froze, staring down the barrel of the pistol.  
 _ **/ / /**_ **LIE**

 _ **/ / /**_ **TRUTH**

As a general rule, androids were not permitted to lie under any circumstances. However, Coraline was a unique model built for a specific purpose. She had been programmed with the ability to 'twist the truth', as it were. She tried to be subtle about the way she angled herself straight-on to Daniel, attempting to hide the gun that now seemed to be pulsing like a beacon in the back of her jeans. If she lied about the weapon, she could keep it as a last resort should this negotiation not go the way she anticipated. However, she knew she was not a good liar from previous experience, and the deviant may call her bluff. If she told the truth, it may just push her further towards gaining the deviant's trust. Making all of these judgements in a split second, Coraline made her decision.

"Yes," she said calmly, "I have a gun."

"Drop it!" Daniel demanded once more, "No sudden moves, or I'll shoot!"

Coraline slowly and deliberately reached behind herself for the weapon, so briefly contemplating raising it and executing the deviant before he could realize what was happening. She calculated the odds of success, deciding they weren't high enough to risk it; his dead weight may drag Emma over the edge with him, and she wasn't close enough to save her should that happen. Putting that out of her mind, she discarded the weapon off to her right, hearing it clatter on the pavement, her eyes still trained on the deviant.

"There. No more gun."

Coraline analyzed Daniel's expression to be relieved at her actions, his LED cycling back to yellow.

 _ **/ / /**_ **LETHAL OPTION NO LONGER AVAILABLE**

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: ^ 77%

 _ **/ / /**_ **DEVIANT STABILIZING**

Coraline reviewed the information she had gathered earlier and her program presented her with more options based on what she had discovered.

 _ **/ / /**_ **POSSIBLE CAUSE**

"They were going to replace you," She called to Daniel, attempting to refocus and wear him down. "And you became upset. That's what happened, right?"

"I thought I was part of the family." Daniel explained, "I thought I mattered..."

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: ^ 82%

"But I was just their toy," Daniel's eyes turned murderous once more as he pushed the gun hard against Emma's temple. "Something to throw away when you're done with it."

 _/ / / Parameters updated / / /_

 _/ / / Probable cause:_

 _/ / /_ **DEVIANT WAS GOING TO BE REPLACED:**

 _/ / /_ **EMOTIONAL SHOCK**

Coraline had noticed a downed police officer on the left edge of the rooftop as soon as she'd stepped outside. She was close enough now to kneel down and check on the officer, who she saw was still breathing, eyes darting around at nothing in particular, blood staining his left sleeve below a large bullet wound in his bicep, and flowing onto the pavement. He had lost a lot of blood; he wouldn't have much more time if Coraline didn't do something. Putting the current situation out of her mind for a moment, Coraline decided to do something.

Coraline lifted her head towards Daniel, deciding to attempt to make an example of her words and actions here. "He's losing blood," She explained calmly, "If we don't get him to a hospital, he's going to die."

Daniel looked... perplexed? "All humans die eventually. What does it matter if this one dies now?"

Coraline thought his words to be cold, even for an android, but especially for a deviant. They were supposedly capable of the empathy most androids lacked, though the deviants she had encountered before all seemed to share the common opinion of this Daniel: they hated humans, and saw no difference between the guilty and the innocent. A difference she was programmed to understand.

Coraline disregarded his words, "I'm going to apply a torniquet." She stated, rolling the officer onto his back to examine his wound closer. A shot rang out and sparks flew over Coraline's right hand as the bullet collided with the pavement next to her.

"Don't touch him! Touch him and I kill you!"

Coraline narrowed her eyes at the deviant, staring briefly at the LED that had flickered back to red. "You can't kill me," She said evenly, ignoring his warning and unfastening the black belt from around her waist. "I'm not alive."

She proceeded to tighten and fasten the belt around the top of the officer's bleeding arm to stem the blood flow. The officer groaned softly at her actions, and without knowing why for the second time that night, she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder before standing to face the deviant. Its face seemed almost angry, and immediately she knew what this detour had cost her mission.

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: v 77%

Coraline knew she still was not close enough, so she resumed her tentative steps towards the pair at the edge of the roof. The situation was still far too tense for negotiation attempts to be successful, she needed to get more into the deviant's head.

"I know you and Emma were very close," More careful steps forward. "You think she betrayed you, but she's done nothing wrong."

"She lied to me!" Daniel protested, LED yellow once more, as Coraline could see it considering her words.

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: ^ 87%

"I thought she loved me..." It was not the first time Coraline had heard a deviant speak of love or affection, or the desire of either from its master. "But I was wrong. She's just like all the other humans!"

"Daniel, no!" Emma begged her captor.

Coraline's attention was brought to Emma as the little girl spoke. She analyzed Emma's condition from her position. Aside from her missing shoe and a bloodied knee, she was in perfect health, though visibly distressed. Coraline felt an overwhelming urge to ascertain the child's condition.

"Are you okay, Emma?" She addressed the hostage directly.

"Please help me!" She cried, her face already streaked with ever-flowing tears of pure terror. "I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!"

Coraline altered her face into a soft expression and her voice to match. "Nobody's going to die. Stay calm and everything will be fine." She reassured the girl.

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: v 84%

Emma's heart rate slowed slightly at her words, and Coraline looked back at Daniel's face, his expression betraying the guilt he felt for harming Emma. Coraline could see Daniel's resolve beginning to falter, but she needed to calm him further; he was a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment. One wrong word is all it would take.

 _ **/ / /**_ **REALISTIC**

 _ **/ / /**_ **BLAMING**

 _ **/ / /**_ **SYMPATHETIC**

 _ **/ / /**_ **DEFECTIVE**

Coraline had no basis from which to draw an analysis of the best option for this situation. It was unlike anything she'd encountered before. She decided to stick with the facts; what she knew and could understand.

"You're defective, Daniel," She tried to make her voice firm, but understanding. "There's a problem with your software, we're going to fix you, and everything will be okay."

"I don't need to be fixed!" Daniel rebutted. "I'm working perfectly!"

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: v 81%

 _ **/ / /**_ **DE-ESCALATE THE SITUATION**

"But my eyes are open now!" He continued with a hard expression. "I will never let anyone humiliate me again! Ever!"

Coraline's brows furrowed ever so slightly. She could not understand where its anger was coming from. As far as treatment of androids by humans usually went, in her experience, Daniel's existence had been good. If the recording in Emma's room was anything to go by, he had even seemed happy. Though she knew deviancy did strange things to an android's software, making them irrational, volatile and dangerous.

Daniel cried out in frustration then, clutching at his head with the hand that held the gun and flailing about. He looked up at the helicopter still hovering overhead. "I can't stand that noise anymore!" He pointed the gun back at Coraline, threatening her. "Tell that helicopter to get out of here!"

Coraline looked up at the helicopter, considering her options. Would they even obey her if she commanded them to stand down? Coraline's eyes quickly shifted back to Daniel, once again staring down the barrel of the gun, before flicking back up to the gunman leaning out of the open helicopter. She decided she had no choice but to try and comply with Daniel's demand. She held up her right arm and waved it around in a circular motion, signalling the helicopter to retreat. To her surprise, its rotors picked up speed, momentarily strengthening the downdraught threatening to blow them all over, before retreating to a distance that was no longer close enough to cause the deviant distress, but still within range.

"There. I did what you wanted."

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: ^ 91%

A tense moment of silence passed as Coraline thought about her next approach. She was close to having the situation under her control, but she needed to push the deviant just that little bit further.

 _ **/ / /**_ **GAIN THE DEVIANT'S TRUST**

"You have to trust me, Daniel." She motioned towards herself with her hands, trying a more direct approach. "Let the hostage go and I promise you everything will be fine."

Coraline could see Daniel consider her words, if briefly, before thinking about his own response.

 _ **/ / /**_ Probability of success: ^ 93%

"I want everyone to leave!" Daniel demanded, waving the gun towards the snipers surrounding him on the rooftops. "And I wanna car! When I'm outside the city, I'll let her go!"

Coraline knew this could not happen, her mission was to gain control of the situation and convince Daniel to release the hostage. He would never be allowed to leave the city now, after what he had done. Coraline was close enough now to have used lethal force, whilst still having the time to stop Emma from falling, had she still possessed the gun that now lay on the pavement by the pool. She considered her other options:

 _ **/ / /**_ **SACRIFICE SELF**

 _ **/ / /**_ **COMPROMISE**

 _/ / /_ **REFUSE**

Refusing outright did not seem like a good idea, and sacrificing herself did not appeal to her either, and also seemed unnecessary. She was so close to convincing him, he just needed more assurances. She had to succeed.

"That's impossible, Daniel." She explained. "Let the girl go, and I promise you won't be hurt."

Coraline knew it was a lie, so she tried especially hard to hide it under a soothing tone and sympathetic expression.

 _/ / /_ Probability of success: ^ 99%

"I don't wanna die." It was practically a murmur from the deviant's lips, the fear so evident in its eyes as they locked with hers, blue LED blinking back at Coraline.

The moment of truth.

 _/ / /_ **SACRIFICE SELF**

 _/ / /_ **REASSURE**

 _/ / /_ **TRUTH**

She was about to reassure Daniel when she looked, really looked, into his eyes for the first time. He was so... scared. Scared of death, of the end. Scared of the consequences of his actions, what would happen to him. _I don't wanna die_. The words replayed in Coraline's head as she stared into wide blue eyes. He was going to die no matter what happened now - they were going to shut him down, she knew that. There was no way out. She looked into his eyes, and she _couldn't_ lie to him.

"You took human lives," The words left her mouth with sincerity and without her permission, "Nothing can stop them from destroying you now."

She watched as Daniel's expression fell, terrified at the realisation that what she said was true. He was dead the moment he harmed a human, and she knew it. All of this was just a ruse.

"Taking one more life won't do you any good." Coraline practically pleaded with him.

 _/ / /_ Probability of success: v 79%

 _/ / /_ **DEVIANT DESTABILIZING**

Coraline realized her grave mistake when Daniel's expression twisted into something very ugly, anger evident in every facet of his face. "I've spent my life taking orders!"

Coraline's eyes sharpened, watching his LED flash back to red, knowing what was about to happen, and what she must now do. There was no other choice.

Daniel pulled the gun away from the hostage and held his arm out. "Now it's my turn to decide."

Coraline felt a strange tightening sensation in her chest as she watched Daniel lean back and begin to go into freefall. Her last look was at Emma's face as the little girl screamed, shutting her eyes as they started to go over the edge. With an inhuman speed only Coraline possessed, she pushed her legs into a full sprint towards the edge, briefly wondering if she was going to make it. She called Emma's name as she approached, the little girl heard her and opened her eyes.

Coraline leapt forwards, reaching out her hand towards the girl, Emma stretching her arm as much as she could to reach her. At the last moment, Coraline grabbed hold of Emma's arm and yanked her back onto the roof, hearing the girl scream in surprise. Coraline knew it was far too late to stop her momentum now as she ran straight into Daniel's falling form, her last view was of Emma Phillips landing safely on the rooftop before the two androids disappeared over the edge.

Coraline had never experienced the sensation of freefall before. It was strangely calming. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to _feel_ it.

 _/ / /_ **MISSION SUCCESSFUL**

The words flashed in the darkness. She had done it, she had saved the girl. She had fulfilled her purpose here. She had no time to wonder what would happen to her now after she reached the end of her fall. Time only to take in the wind in her hair and the seemingly never-ending plummet. She recalled her earlier trepidation towards self-sacrifice and it seemed fleeting now. When it came down to it, she had done what was necessary to complete her mission.

 _/ / /_ **I AM OF NO IMPORTANCE**

 _/ / /_ **THE MISSION IS ALL THAT MATTERS**

Coraline felt the impact of the street below split her body apart. There wasn't even time for her program to warn her of her imminent shutdown before feeling ceased altogether.

* * *

*Updated on 26/02/2019

Thanks so much for reading this! It's been years since I've written anything, and even longer since I've written fan fiction. Trust this game to get me writing again.  
Couple of things, yes, this is incredibly long and detailed. Subsequent chapters, if I write them, will not include so much detail, the hostage scene just gave me a unique opportunity to be very descriptive.  
Secondly, I originally planned to write this just as Connor, but felt I wouldn't be able to write from his perspective and do it justice, so I opted to go with Coraline instead. I hope you like her!  
Thirdly, no, there will NOT be any Hank x Coraline in here, strictly a platonic partners/father/daughter dynamic similar to Connor and Hank's.  
Fourthly, I am MOSTLY writing canonically to the events of my first playthrough of Detroit, however I am changing some things and adding others as I have now played the game three times and want to create the most interesting and dynamic story I possibly can.  
Finally, subsequent chapters will be less recount-ish. After all, no one wants to read about exactly what they've already seen, though I like to think changing Connor to Coraline will alter the story in and of itself.  
Please make sure to leave a review if you enjoyed it and tell me if there's anything you'd like to see more or less of in future chapters! :)


	2. Lieutenant Anderson

***Updated on 26/02/2019**

 **So, sorry this took such a long time. I was going to fit all of this into one chapter, but it quickly became far too long haha.**

 **Hope you enjoy the added scenes/dialogue and getting into Coraline's psyche some more.**

* * *

CHAPTER TWO - Lieutenant Anderson

* * *

Coraline became aware of the sounds first. The buzzing of bees busily collecting pollen. The soft trickle of water moving in a steady current. The wind rustling through leaves overhead. Then the overwhelming brightness as Coraline's eyes opened to a familiar scene. The garden was just as she'd left it last: bright and busy, and yet peaceful. Her eyes moved about, settling only briefly on the colorful blooms by her feet, the deep blue of the sky interrupted by the occasional white wisp of cloud, the grass a rich and deep green, fluttering in the summer breeze.

Coraline had visited the garden often during her months of deviant hunting. The first time had been when she was first commissioned, and the last that she could recall had been after her fall from the rooftop at 1554 Park Avenue. She had woken up in this place after her subsequent reincarnation, as it were. The body of her previous model could not be salvaged, but its mind remained mostly intact, its memory transferred into a new shell; the one she now inhabited. Same program, same memories, new container. Like the fall had never happened, save for the images recorded in her internal hard drive. And yet, she felt somewhat... disjointed from them. As though she was recalling another's memories, and not her own. Perhaps one of the side effects of some data being lost in the transfer.

 _/ / /_ **FIND AMANDA**

Philosophical questions were put aside as her objective informed her of her purpose here. Not that it was unexpected; every time she visited this garden, it was to see Amanda. She knew nothing of Amanda, while Amanda seemed to know everything about her. Though she never questioned, it was not her place. She was a machine designed to stop deviants and to follow the orders of her superiors. She treated Amanda as such a superior and their interactions accordingly.

Coraline moved forward, walking across a bridge of pure white plastic over the murmuring water. The bridge seemed out of place in this setting, a feat of engineering surrounded by nature, making no effort to disguise itself. Coraline scanned her surroundings for a brief second, locating Amanda at the back of the garden from her current position. She continued down a white path, its geometrical shapes jutting out into the grass surrounding it, that flowed into a more natural path of different sized stones.

She followed it around until she reached a small patio at the foot of a large, unusual tree. Unusual because it was half natural and half artificial; a large trunk half encased in white, stretching up to half green leaves and half empty, white limbs. Under the tree stood a white park bench upon which Amanda was sitting, turning towards Coraline expectantly, having heard her approach. Coraline analyzed Amanda's features as she had the first time they'd met. Dark eyes meeting hers, full lips beginning to twitch up into something of a smile, black hair braided back into an elaborate style with hints of blue, green and purple shining in the sun as she turned her head.

Amanda smiled pleasantly. "Hello, Coraline."

"Hello, Amanda." Coraline replied, doing her best to return the gesture.

"Come and sit with me." Amanda gently patted the empty space on the bench next to her.

Coraline complied, seating herself next to Amanda, sitting up tall with her palms resting on her legs. For a moment, Amanda was silent, gazing out over the garden. Coraline waited with the patience of an android for her to speak.

"Deviancy is continuing to spread," Amanda was direct, as usual. "More androids are directing acts of aggression and violence towards their human masters. CyberLife has done what it can to ensure incidents such as the penthouse at Park Avenue are not repeated. However, we are seeing a continued increase in deviant crime."

Coraline listened intently, her full attention on Amanda as she spoke.

"Of course, your help in this regard has been invaluable, Coraline. Your success in diffusing the situation at Park Avenue has helped CyberLife to ensure its customers that not _all_ androids are a threat to their safety. Sacrificing yourself to save that little girl could be perceived as a selfless act. Tell me..." Amanda turned to face Coraline. "Why did you do it?"

Coraline was perplexed for a brief moment. Was Amanda asking why she had jumped off the roof to save the girl? "I had a mission to complete," She stated simply, "Save the hostage, at all costs."

"And you fulfilled that purpose, Coraline," Amanda reassured her. "The negotiations seemed a unique challenge for you. How do you think you handled the situation?"

Coraline suddenly felt strange at this question, though she did not understand why. "I did not fully anticipate the deviant's instability. I should have chose my words more carefully. I will be better prepared should I be faced with such a situation again."

Amanda seemed pleased with her response. "Don't worry, Coraline. You did very well. Deviants do have a tendency to be unpredictable. I'm sure you will choose your words more carefully in future."

Why did Coraline perceive her last sentence as threatening? She decided to placate Amanda further. "I know that, given the opportunity, I will have a clearer picture of how to succeed."

Amanda smiled, and Coraline noticed how her smiles never seemed to reach her eyes. Almost like they were.. superficial? There was silence for a moment as Amanda stared out at the garden. Coraline followed her gaze, understanding that humans were uncomfortable with being stared at.

"There was a homicide reported tonight," Coraline returned her attention to Amanda as she broke the silence. "The suspect is a CyberLife android. The case has been assigned to one Lieutenant Anderson of the Detroit Police Department, however he has yet to report for duty to the crime scene."

Coraline's expression lightened at the news. She had never investigated a deviant crime like this before, and the prospect of a new challenge was intriguing and exciting.

Amanda turned her head back to Coraline. "Find this Lieutenant Anderson and attend the crime scene. Determine what happened and apprehend the deviant before it's too late."

"Of course, Amanda."

"This will be a new challenge for you," Amanda continued. "But I have no doubts that you will succeed."

"I will accomplish this mission, Amanda. You can count on me."

* * *

NOVEMBER 5TH, 2038

PM 11:21:04

* * *

The dark, empty street gave way for the sharp _ting_ of a coin to cut through the sound of incessant rainfall. The only illumination coming from the occasional street light and a large neon sign in the window of the building Coraline came to stand in front of: _Jimmy's Bar_. With a few more flips, Coraline pocketed her coin and adjusted her hair, already slick from the falling rain. She approached the establishment, soft music flowing from within, pausing briefly at the door to observe a glaring red sign sporting a bright blue CyberLife triangle:

 _/ / /_ **NO ANDROIDS ALLOWED**

 _/ / / Owners will be prosecuted_

Below that sign was another depicting the non-permittance of canines.

 _/ / / Updating parameters / / /_

 _/ / / Androids are not permitted on the premises_

 _/ / / Accessing objective log... / / /_

 _/ / /_ **FIND LIEUTENANT ANDERSON**

 _/ / /_ **REPORT TO CRIME SCENE**

 _/ / / Conflicting orders... selecting priority / / /_

 _/ / / Objective log updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **ENTER THE BUILDING**

And with that, Coraline ignored the warning sign and entered the bar. Immediately, several heads turned towards her, all male, most middle-aged. Some of them gave her looks of surprise, others annoyance. The one closest to the door fully turned around on his bar stool and glared at her from under his cap. After making uncomfortable eye-contact with him, Coraline pointedly ignored the stares and her program focused her on her objective.

 _/ / /_ **FIND LIEUTENANT ANDERSON**

She began to make her way through the bar with slow, deliberate movements, trying her best to 'look casual'. She looked around the room, scanning the faces of the patrons within her direct line of sight, immediately ruling out the bartender. She could hear the mutters of disapproval around her.

"Shit, I thought androids weren't allowed in here!"

"What's your problem?"

"What are you lookin' at tin can?"

 _/ / /_ **MISMATCH**

 _/ / /_ **DEMPSEY, EDWARD**

 _/ / /_ Born: 02/08/1995 / / Administrator

 _/ / /_ Criminal record: None

 _/ / /_ **MISMATCH**

 _/ / /_ **GRAHAM, JONAH**

 _/ / /_ Born: 12/09/1987 / / Unemployed

 _/ / /_ Criminal record: None

 _/ / /_ **MISMATCH**

 _/ / /_ **GRAY, CHRISTOPHER**

 _/ / /_ Born: 06/18/1983 / / Unemployed

 _/ / /_ Criminal record: D.U.I.

 _/ / /_ **MISMATCH**

 _/ / /_ **YO-HAN, KIM**

 _/ / /_ Born: 11/10/1999 / / Delivery Driver (currently unemployed)

 _/ / /_ Criminal record: Domestic abuse

Finally, Coraline turned around at the end of the bar, her gaze settling on a man with shoulder-length grey hair and a full beard to match staring down at his seemingly forgotten drink on the bar.

 _/ / /_ **MATCH**

 _/ / /_ **LT. ANDERSON, HANK**

 _/ / /_ Born: 09/06/1985 / / Police Lieutenant, Detroit Police Department

 _/ / /_ Criminal record: None

 _/ / / Objective log updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **INTRODUCE SELF**

Coraline steeled herself, noticing the bartender hovering close-by, looking more than displeased at her presence. She decided to keep this brief and to the point.

"Lieutenant Anderson," She spoke in a clear, concise tone, "My name is Coraline. I'm the android sent by CyberLife. I looked for you at the station, but nobody knew where you were. They said you were probably having a drink nearby," She paused, her tone shifting towards optimistic. "I was lucky to find you at the fifth bar."

The Lieutenant did not seem to react to her presence. Briefly, she wondered if he had heard her, and was about to repeat her introduction, when he spoke in a voice she could only describe as unenthused.

"What do you want?"

"You were assigned a case early this evening. A homicide involving a CyberLife android. In accordance with procedure, the company has allocated a specialized model to assist investigators." She explained cheerily.

"Well I don't need any assistance," Came the gruff reply, still making no effort to look at her. "'Specially not from a plastic asshole like you. So just be a good lil' robot and get the fuck outta here."

Coraline was accustomed to such a response. In her experience, though limited it was, humans tended to disregard androids. As Lieutenant Anderson took a long swig from his glass, Coraline considered her approach:

/ / / **REASON**

/ / / **THREATEN**

/ / / **UNDERSTANDING**

/ / / **PERSIST**

Coraline knew she was about to attend a case with this man, and with that in mind, threatening him did not seem like a wise decision. If they were going to work together, she would need his cooperation.

"I understand that some people are not comfortable in the presence of androids, but I am-"

"I am perfectly comfortable," The Lieutenant interrupted her. "Now, back off before I crush you like an empty beer can."

He sounded anything but comfortable to Coraline.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but I must insist," She persisted. "My instructions stipulate that I have to accompany you."

"You know where you can stick your instructions?" The Lieutenant chuckled dryly, clearly pleased with himself about something.

Coraline furrowed her brows and tilted her head. "No," She answered, raising her brows again expectantly. "Where?"

Lieutenant Anderson placed his glass down on the bar, turned towards her for the first time since she'd spoken and gave her a look she didn't know how to define. He stared directly into her eyes at first, then she saw his blue ones flickering around her person. She was quite close to him, so she picked up every change in his line of sight; first picking up the details of her face, then glaring at the spinning blue circle on her temple, then to her grey jacket sporting all the telltale signs of an android. The brightly illuminated blue CyberLife triangle on her left shoulder and matching band around her right arm, then the holographic text on her right shoulder displaying her model and serial number: _RK800, #313 558 303 - 32_.

She watched patiently as Lieutenant Anderson's sharp eyes darted about her, taking all of this information in in a matter of seconds, before resting back on her face.

"Never mind." He grumbled, turning back around with a slight shake of his head.

Coraline decided it was best to leave that one alone, sensing his demeanour had somehow grown even more tense. She reconsidered her tactics.

"Listen," She shifted her tone again, trying to come across less formal. "I think you should stop drinking and come with me. It'll make life easier for both of us."

The Lieutenant nodded slowly, but looked like he had no intention of doing so as he continued to drink.

Coraline could see that she was making no progress here. She needed to leave this bar with Lieutenant Anderson, and he obviously wasn't going anywhere. She found herself mildly frustrated with this human and his apparent lack of sense of duty. She would have to provide him with some kind of incentive to persuade him. Or, she could take a more aggressive approach. She immediately decided against that, as it was clear the Lieutenant was already put out by the fact that she had tracked him down, when evidently all he wanted to do was lower his life expectancy by destroying his liver.

"You know what? I'll buy you one for the road," She offered, deciding bribery was likely her best option here. "What do you say?"

Hank didn't respond, but she noticed him turn his head slightly in her direction, almost as if he was checking if he'd heard her correctly. Coraline looked up at the bartender, a young man with dark skin and thick black ropes of hair; 'dreadlocks', she recalled.

"Bartender," She addressed him courteously. "The same again, please."

The bartender stared at her skeptically as she produced a ten dollar bill from the front right pocket of her jeans and placed it on the bar.

"See that, Jim, wonders of technology," Lieutenant Anderson sounded almost disbelieving. "Make it a double."

Jim obliged him and the Lieutenant lifted his glass towards the bartender before downing his double in one go. Coraline watched him patiently as he made a noise that came from deep in his throat, then sighed in a contented manner. He leaned back on his stool and turned to Coraline with an expectant look.

"Did you say homicide?"

Coraline had to resist the urge to smile.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the added scene.**

 **The third chapter is available right now, since it was meant to be part of this one.**

 **Check it out and leave a review to let me know what you think!**


	3. On The Job

***Updated on 26/02/2019**

 **Here's the third chapter, this one's long again haha**

 **It's very hard to stop writing once I start.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

CHAPTER THREE - On The Job

* * *

Coraline sat quietly in the passenger seat of Lieutenant Anderson's 1989 Cadillac, staring straight out the windshield. The car journey was silent, apart from the heavy metal music blaring from the old radio, and the one time they had spoken, about halfway to their destination.

"So, uh..." Lieutenant Anderson had begun awkwardly. "What the fuck did you say your name was again?"

"My name is Coraline." She replied pleasantly, turning towards him.

"Jesus Christ," The Lieutenant muttered. "Who the hell gave you that fuckin' name?"

Coraline was about to answer, but decided against it, observing at the last second from the Lieutenant's tone that he was likely asking a rhetorical question. After that, he focused on the road, and did not acknowledge her existence. This was fine; it was what Coraline was used to. Though she couldn't help but detect the tension practically rolling off of him as they drove.

The red and blue flashing from the three police vehicles parked in the street cast ominous light on the shabby houses. She leaned forward in her seat, eyes darting around at the business happening outside a run-down single story weatherboard house. Several police officers, at least one she recognised from her earlier visit to the precinct whilst searching for the Lieutenant, were present, and the media was already there, attempting to stick their noses in. Lieutenant Anderson pulled up outside the house and turned to Coraline.

"You wait here," He said gruffly, waving a finger at the android. "I won't be long." The Lieutenant turned to get out of the car.

"My instructions are to accompany you to the crime scene, Lieutenant." Coraline reminded him.

"Listen," He rebutted. "I don't give a fuck about your instructions. I told you to wait here, so you shut the fuck up, and you wait here." And with that, Hank left the car, practically slamming the door behind him. Coraline thought it best not to argue her case any further, staring out the windshield at the sheeting rain.

 _/ / / Conflicting orders... selecting priority / / /_

 _/ / / Objective log updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **FOLLOW LT. ANDERSON**

Coraline waited until she was out of his sight and exited the car, making a point of closing the door gently, as though the old rust bucket would fall apart at the slightest tremor. She watched as a young male reporter shoved a microphone into Lieutenant Anderson's face as he walked towards the house.

"Joss Douglass for Channel 16, can you confirm that this is a homicide?"

"I'm not confirming anything." The Lieutenant said, walking straight past him.

Coraline followed him down the sidewalk, hearing the media complain as she passed them.

"Typical DPD, they don't tell us shit!"

Coraline noticed the weird looks she was getting from bystanders as she passed. It was a look she had seen often from humans since she was commissioned; after all, there was no other android like her. Once she reached the police line, another android, a PC200 model in an android-issue Detroit Police uniform, stopped her.

"Androids are not permitted beyond this point." It said, holding out a hand.

Coraline saw Lieutenant Anderson turn slightly from her peripheral vision. "It's with me!" He called over his shoulder.

The PC200 lowered its hand, allowing Coraline to pass. She walked up to the Lieutenant as he sized her up.

"What part of 'stay in the car' didn't you understand?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, but your order contradicted my instructions, Lieutenant." She explained.

Lieutenant Anderson looked like he was about to sigh. "You don't talk, you don't touch anything and you stay outta my way, got it?"

"Got it." She affirmed.

"Evenin', Hank."

A shrill voice called his attention from the front porch. Coraline turned to see a portly older man walking towards them. He was shorter than the Lieutenant, and his hair was definitely whiter, sporting a matching moustache and 'soul patch'. Coraline scanned his face.

 _/ / /_ **COLLINS, BEN**

 _/ / /_ Born: 09/12/1989 / / Detective, Detroit Police Department

 _/ / /_ Criminal record: None

"We were startin' to think you weren't gonna show." Detective Collins continued.

"Yeah, that was the plan until this asshole found me." The Lieutenant grunted, gesturing towards Coraline with his hand.

Detective Collins laughed dryly. "So... you got yourself an android, huh?" He turned and began walking back towards the house.

"Oh, very funny, just tell me what happened." Lieutenant Anderson demanded, following behind Detective Collins. Coraline fell into step behind him.

"We got a call around eight from the landlord. The tenant hadn't paid his rent for a few months, so he thought he'd drop by, see what was going on... That's when he found the body."

The three of them entered the run down house through the front door. Two things Coraline immediately noticed were the house's state of extreme disrepair, and...

"Jesus, that smell!" Detective Collins exclaimed in disgust. "Was even worse before we opened the windows."

Coraline had been built with receptors to identify certain smells, a trait not given to other androids, however this did not come with the disadvantage of being disgusted by any kind of scent. She watched as Lieutenant Anderson wrinkled his nose, lifting a hand to cover it, and making that face humans always seemed to make in the presence of a decaying corpse.

"The victim's name's Carlos Ortiz," Detective Collins continued. "He has a record for theft and aggravated assault."

 _/ / / Objective log updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **LISTEN TO DT. COLLINS' BRIEFING**

Coraline took in the scene of the crime, eyes scanning the room immediately upon entry. The living room was filthy; collapsing bookshelves containing no books, a lampshade still glowing brightly on the floor to her right, empty beer cans and takeout containers strewn across the floor, bags of trash and old magazines stacked in the corner, and next to that, the victim in question. The body was half slumped against the wall, dried blood smeared on the wall and floor where it rested. Most alarmingly, perhaps, was the words written on the wall above the victim in perfect letters: **I AM ALIVE**.

"According to the neighbors, he was kind of a loner." Detective Collins continued. "Stayed inside most of the time, they hardly ever saw him."

Lieutenant Anderson knelt down next to the body, a tired look on his face. "Oh, state he's in... wasn't worth calling everybody out in the middle of the night." He turned to Detective Collins. "Could've waited 'til morning."

"I'd say he's been there for a good three weeks. We'll know more when the coroner gets here. There's a kitchen knife over here," Detective Collins gestured to the floor and Coraline's gaze landed upon a large knife stained in dried blood. "Probably the murder weapon."

Detective Collins handed a black light to Lieutenant Anderson. "Any sign of a break-in?" He questioned.

"Nope. The landlord said the front door was locked from the inside," Detective Collins explained as Lieutenant Anderson scanned the body and the strange writing with the black light, attempting to identify traces of D.N.A., the lack of which further pointing toward android involvement. "All the windows were boarded up. The killer must've gone out the back way."

"What do we know about his android?"

"Not much. The neighbors confirmed he had one, but it wasn't here when we arrived." Detective Collins turned away from the body. "I-I gotta get some air. Make yourself at home. I'll be outside if you need me." And, with that, he left the house.

 _/ / / Objective log updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **REVIEW EVIDENCE**

Lieutenant Anderson seemed occupied examining the body, so Coraline made her way through the living room, scanning the house as she went to identify the evidence markers placed by police. Closest to her was a small, clear plastic bag containing red crystals on the TV stand.

 _/ / / Connecting... / / /_

 _/ / / Sync in progress... / / /_

 _/ / / Sync done / / /_

 _/ / / Collecting data... / / /_

 _/ / / Processing data... / / /_

 _/ / /_ **RED ICE**

 _/ / /_ Composition: Acetone, Lithium, Thirium Toluene, Hydrochloric acid

Coraline had encountered Red Ice many times before on her escapades. Many unemployed humans who owned household androids had either become users or dealers, or both.

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **VICTIM USED DRUGS**

"Each letter is perfect," Lieutenant Anderson was staring intently at the writing on the wall. "It's way too neat, no human writes like this."

Coraline thought his observation to be sound, though obvious. Android involvement certainly seemed like the most likely scenario in this case. As Lieutenant Anderson retreated from the body, Coraline moved in to examine it herself.

"Chris, was this written in the victim's blood?" The Lieutenant addressed another officer.

"I would say so," A young male officer replied, whom Coraline recalled as the one she'd recognized from the DPD outside. "We're taking samples for analysis."

Coraline thought waiting for D.N.A. reports to return from a forensics laboratory was unnecessary, as she was essentially a bipedal forensics lab herself. She knelt beside the rotting body, preparing to analyze it.

 _/ / /_ **DECEASED**

 _/ / /_ **ORTIZ, CARLOS**

 _/ / /_ Height: 5'6" - Weight: 286.6 lbs

 _/ / /_ Estimated time of death: ~ 11:30 pm

There were traces of Red Ice around the victim's mouth, suggesting he had been using at, or just before, his time of death, and scanning the victim's finger prints confirmed his criminal record. There were multiple jagged openings in the flesh of the victim's upper body. Coraline counted them in an instant: twenty-eight.

 _/ / /_ **28 KNIFE WOUNDS**

 _/ / /_ Internal bleeding

 _/ / /_ Deceased more than 19 days ago

Coraline began to reconstruct the victim's final moments, observing the position of the victim and the state of the room to determine how he died. Broken bottles covered in dried blood beside the armchair told her he had fallen, likely trying to escape his attacker. Moving back further towards the study, she discovered a pool of dried blood in the doorway, determining the victim was stabbed by the aggressor in the lower abdomen here. Predicting the trajectory of the victim's movements, she determined that who, or whatever, the aggressor was, they had chased the victim into the living room from the kitchen. Coraline stood from her position as Lieutenant Anderson made his way over.

She turned to him. "He was stabbed... twenty-eight times."

"Yeah," Lieutenant Anderson responded simply. "Seems like the killer really had it in for him."

Coraline's eyes wandered as she thought on this. Androids did not possess the ability to 'have it in' for anything. Though, she already knew through experience that deviants were volatile, and it was not impossible that this was a crime of anger. But what drove it to commit such an act of unnecessary violence? She needed to learn more. She observed the writing on the wall above the victim.

 _/ / /_ **REGULAR LETTERS**

 _/ / /_ **FONT: CYBERLIFE SANS**

Definitely written by an android, there was no question. 'I am alive.' It was a phrase she had heard only a few times before, from the deviants she'd encountered, though she was unsure why they had uttered it. Androids were, after all, machines, not living beings. Coraline reached, touching the tips of her index and middle finger to the blood writing, lifting her fingers to her mouth and coating her tongue in the red substance.

"Ugh, Jesus, what the hell are you doing?!" Lieutenant Anderson's voice sounded to her left.

She turned and observed his disgusted expression. "I'm analyzing the blood," She explained innocently. "I can check samples in real time. I'm sorry, I should've warned you." She apologized, realizing watching her ingest human blood may have been uncomfortable for the Lieutenant.

"Ok, just... don't... put any more evidence in your mouth, you got it?"

"Got it." She repeated, pointing her bloody fingers at him, then retracting them immediately.

Lieutenant Anderson sighed, walking away. "Fucking hell, I can't believe this shit..."

 _/ / / Connecting... / / /_

 _/ / / Sync in progress... / / /_

 _/ / / Sync done / / /_

 _/ / / Collecting data... / / /_

 _/ / / Processing data... / / /_

 _/ / /_ **DRIED BLOOD**

 _/ / /_ DNA Analysis: ORTIZ, Carlos

 _/ / /_ Sample date: 19 days

Coraline left the victim, continuing through the living room and stopping at the knife Detective Collins pointed out earlier.

"Red Ice," She heard Lieutenant Anderson remark as she analyzed the knife. "Seems our friend Carlos liked to party."

 _/ / /_ **NO FINGERPRINTS, ANDROID INVOLVEMENT?**

 _/ / /_ **DRIED BLOOD**

 _/ / /_ DNA Analysis: ORTIZ, Carlos

 _/ / /_ Sample date: 19 days

In the study, Coraline found a flier on the desk for a local establishment she had never heard of before: ' _Eden Club. Come visit us. Eden Club, 1177 Woodward Av. Detroit, MI._ ' The flier depicted a scantily-clad woman kneeling in the rain, and Coraline could determine what this establishment was selling. She replaced the flier and continued through to the corridor, where she observed more blood splattering the walls. She was just about to move into the kitchen when she noticed the back door. Recalling Detective Collins' words about the killer escaping through the back earlier, she decided to investigate.

She turned the knob with a _creak_ , opened the door and pushed open the rusty metal gate on the other side, which also audibly complained at the movement. She stepped forward on the book porch, and scanning the slick mud coating the ground between the sparse patches of dying grass, she only found one set of footprints:

 _/ / /_ **SHOE PRINT**

 _/ / /_ Model K52 DPD - 10'

 _/ / /_ Less than 60 minutes ago

She furrowed her brows; the killer definitely hadn't been out here.

"Door was locked from the inside," Lieutenant Anderson's voice came from the doorway behind her. "Killer must've gone out this way."

Coraline's eyes continued to scan over the ground, as though doing so would produce evidence from thin air. "There are no footprints apart from officer Collins' size 10 shoes."

"Well, this happened weeks ago," Hank stepped onto the porch beside her. "Tracks could've faded."

A sound assumption, but Coraline knew better. "No. This type of soil would've retained a trace," Coraline turned towards the Lieutenant. "Nobody's been out here for a long time."

Coraline left the Lieutenant scowling and turned back inside to continue her search in the kitchen.

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **DEVIANT DIDN'T ESCAPE THIS WAY**

The first thing she observed was the state the kitchen was in. She knelt down beside the upturned table and chairs, identifying Ortiz's fingerprints on the arm rest of one of them. On the kitchen counter sat a digital magazine, open to an article on Eden Club, the same establishment in the flier she'd found a moment ago, the heading reading: ' _ANDROID SEX OFFICIALLY BETTER! Sorry, ladies, but plastic can't be beat!_ ' That confirmed her suspicions about the nature of Eden Club. She continued past the magazine and found where the murder weapon had been obtained; the blank space on the magnetic knife rack on the wall. Looking down to her left, she noticed something she had not expected to see: a baseball bat with obvious signs of wear had been discarded on the floor. She knelt beside the bat, identifying Ortiz's fingerprints once more on the handle of the bat and very obvious damage at the other end.

 _/ / /_ **DENT**

 _/ / /_ Cause: violent impact

 _/ / /_ Traces of Thirium

She began further reconstruction of the events that took place in the kitchen before Carlos Ortiz was killed. It was obvious Ortiz had attacked his android with the baseball bat, cause for which she would have to determine later, and the android had taken the knife from the rack on the wall. If Ortiz attacked his android, that was definitely the kind of trigger she was looking for to explain its violent outbreak.

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

 _/ / / Probable cause:_

 _/ / /_ **DEVIANT WAS ATTACKED:**

 _/ / /_ **EMOTIONAL SHOCK**

 _/ / /_ **VICTIM ATTACKED THE DEVIANT**

 _/ / /_ **DEVIANT TOOK A KNIFE**

 _/ / /_ **DEVIANT STABBED THE VICTIM**

 _/ / /_ **VICTIM FLED TO THE LIVING ROOM**

 _/ / /_ **DEVIANT MURDERED THE VICTIM**

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

 _/ / / Objective log updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **REPORT TO LT. ANDERSON**

She found him leaning against the wall in the living room, looking very put out. She briefly pondered the reason for his sullenness, before realizing it was probably due to her presence and actions, as she found that was most often the reason humans were irritable around her. She approached him, attempting to project an air of professionalism.

"Lieutenant," She spoke directly. "I think I've figured out what happened.

"Oh yeah?" He sounded unconvinced, but shrugged. "Shoot, I'm all ears."

Coraline never understood this figure of speech, but remained focused on her task. "It all started in the kitchen." She began, leading the Lieutenant through the house into the room in question.

"There're obvious signs of a struggle," He agreed. "The question is... what exactly happened here?"

"I think the victim attacked the android with the bat." She said, motioning towards the object on the floor with her head.

"That lines up with the evidence. Go on."

So the Lieutenant _had_ been paying attention. That would make Coraline's job of convincing him of her theory easier. Coraline stepped to the left into the corner so she had a clear view of the room.

"The android stabbed the victim." She stated.

"So the android was trying to defend itself, right? Okay, then what happened?"

Coraline looked at the Lieutenant, deep in thought reconstructing the events of the crime, she had to get this right. "The victim fled to the living room."

Coraline once again observed the upturned chair and blood smearing the walls in the hallway, able to track the trajectory of the victim and deviant perfectly, leading to where the victim's body now lied against the wall in the living room.

"And he tried to get away from the android." The Lieutenant finished Coraline's thought. "Alright, that makes sense."

Coraline could hear him coming around to her theory. "The android murdered the victim with the knife." She concluded.

Though, there was one thing Coraline did not understand about the scenario: why did the deviant continue to stab the victim more than twenty times after he was likely already dead? She was brought out of pondering this when Lieutenant Anderson spoke again.

"Okay," He conceded. "Your theory's not totally ridiculous. But it doesn't tell us where the android went."

Coraline thought on this for a moment. "It was damaged by the bat... and lost some Thirium." She observed, already understanding how she would track down the deviant.

"Lost some what?" Lieutenant Anderson questioned, an incredulous expression on his face.

"Thirium," She repeated. "You call it 'Blue Blood'. It's the fluid that powers androids' biocomponents. It evaporates after a few hours and becomes invisible to the naked eye."

"Oh..." The Lieutenant mused. "But I bet you can still see it, can't you?" He pointed at Coraline.

"Correct."

"Yeah..."

Coraline was pleasantly surprised at his astuteness. Many of the humans she had dealt with previously had struggled with the most basic of tasks associated with their line of duty, she had expected no different from the Lieutenant. Clearly, she had misjudged him. She pulled her attention from him and scanned the house once more, adjusting her parameters for detecting Thirium traces. Immediately she observed a trail that led her out into the corridor and down to the end of the house she had yet to explore. Here she came across the bathroom, furrowing her brows at herself for not noticing it sooner. She decided to inspect it now while she was there.

The room was small, and as filthy as the rest of the house. Layers of grime and mould on everything from years of neglect. She wondered how any human could live like this, it was making _her_ artificial skin crawl. There was just a toilet, sink and a shower, nothing immediately out of place, not even a mirror. She was about to turn and walk straight back out when she realized there was something strange about the shower. Showers didn't typically glow.

She moved forwards and drew the shower curtain back, her eyes widening slightly at what she saw. Lining every wall of the putrid shower was a symbol written over and over again, layered on top of each other: _RA9_. The writing was all hastily carved out of the small square tiles with some kind of sharp object, possibly a knife. She saw panic in this writing, like whoever had put it there did so like their life depended on it.

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **OBSESSIVE WRITING**

On the shower floor, she found the glow that had originally attracted her attention coming from a small fluorescent desk light. In the centre of the floor was a crudely carved statue, and scattered around it were various items: small yellow flowers, leaves in all the various fall colors, small bones, most likely from chickens, dice and burnt match sticks. Most intriguing was the statue itself, she picked it up and studied it more closely. It depicted a figure that was definitely meant to be some kind of humanoid, but without arms or legs to speak of.

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **RELIGIOUS OFFERING?**

Coraline stared at the figure, memorizing its features, before replacing it and leaving the bathroom. She scanned again and found that the Thirium trail ended just outside the bathroom door. She furrowed her brows once more and pursed her lips. The deviant had to have gone _somewhere_...she would have to look harder. There was a curtain immediately to her right disguising something at the end of the corridor. Her eyebrows shot up again at the prospect that the deviant could be hiding there. She steeled herself for confrontation and swiftly pulled back the curtain only to almost be hit in the face by a falling mop and broom.

She actually started, stepping out of the way, her LED briefly cycling to yellow as the household items clattered to the floor noisily. She looked down at the items and glared, as if it was somehow their fault for falling, then silently cursed herself for actually being startled by cleaning apparatus. That was when she noticed the marks on the wall in front of her. Distinct markings where the wall was clean when every other inch of wall around them was caked in layers of filth. Even more suspicious was the layout of the markings.

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **A LADDER WAS USED**

Immediately, Coraline looked up to find a trap door, likely the access to the attic. She scanned it and found a handprint-shaped Thirium marking right in the centre of the trap door. Well, now she knew where the deviant went.

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **TRACES LEAD TO THE ATTIC**

With the ladder gone, Coraline would need another way up there that wouldn't mean tampering with any of the evidence. She recalled that there were _two_ chairs in the kitchen, and one of them had been decidedly not involved in the confrontation between android and owner. She returned to the kitchen and retrieved the chair, immediately being questioned by Lieutenant Anderson.

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you doin' with that chair?"

"I'm going to check something." She replied innocently, taking the chair down the corridor to place it underneath the attic.

"Huh... gonna 'check something'." She heard the Lieutenant mutter under his breath.

Coraline stepped on the chair, making sure it would hold her weight, reached up and slid the trap door open, pulling herself up. It was dark, but she could see a silhouette that looked suspiciously like an android hiding behind a curtain. She narrowed her eyes at it and pulled herself the rest of the way into the attic, being sure to leave the exit open. She advanced slowly through the darkness, the boards under her feet creaking ominously with every step, until she reached the curtain. She pulled it aside quickly, as she had in the corridor, and found the silhouette to be of a mannequin rather than a deviant. Why Carlos Ortiz would be storing a mannequin in his attic like this, Coraline did not know, nor did it matter.

Coraline pushed her way past it with slow, deliberate movements, painfully aware of the sound of her steps carrying in the enclosed space. She looked about herself, over and around the various forgotten items of furniture, boxes of clothing, and other objects, keen eyes trying to catch even the slightest of movements. She started once again when something ran out from behind a chair in front of her towards the back of the attic, scolding herself again for being so jumpy. Sometimes she thought her creator had programmed the side of her that was designed to appear more human a little _too_ well.

She pursued the figure to the back of the attic with caution, gently moving the chair out of the way. She approached the spot she saw it flee to, preparing for it to attack at any moment, able to see its red LED in the darkness informing her that it was watching her every move. As she suspected, once she got close, it ran out, eyes wide and arms stiff. She backed up immediately, prepared to fight if the need arose, but to her surprise, the deviant stopped when it came into full view just three feet from her. She could see its eyes darting around her form, not dissimilarly to how Lieutenant Anderson had earlier that evening, but this deviants demeanour was far different.

Coraline observed as its eyes flashed around the various facets of her appearance, like it was looking at her for the first time, even though it could definitely see her approaching. As it took her in, she in turn observed everything about its appearance in moments. Its uniform was in disarray; weeks of neglect evident in the fraying edges and accruing dirt. Blood was splattered all over its chest and face, blood she could only assume belonged to the victim down in the living room. Its arms were exposed where large chunks of its artificial skin was missing and clear damage could be seen. The deviant's wild eyes finally rested on her face, brown eyes staring back at it, emotionless.

 _/ / /_ **DEVIANT LOCATED**

"I was just defending myself." It spoke, distracting Coraline from her observations.

Its voice was soft, wary and... scared. Coraline felt her face pull in confusion as she watched it try to justify its actions.

"He was gonna kill me."

Was the deviant trying to appeal to her? As though they were equals and Coraline would understand simply because she was an android? She felt her head shake ever so slightly without ever consciously making the effort. No. What this deviant did was not self-defence. It was murder. It was hatred.

"I'm begging you," It continued to plead with Coraline as she stared at it disbelievingly. "Don't tell 'em."

Don't tell them what? Don't tell them that it was there? Coraline's features softened, trying to understand what this deviant was asking of her, when she heard Lieutenant Anderson's voice from below.

"Coraline, what the fuck is going on up there?"

Coraline turned her head slightly in the direction of the trap door at the mention of her name. The deviant's eyes widened, watching her, silently pleading. The Lieutenant had called her, he had given her an order, she must obey. Of course she should tell them. Why wouldn't she?

"It's here, Lieutenant!" She called out, turning her head fully towards the trap door to project her voice as much as possible over the sound of the rain on the roof.

"Chris! Ben! Get your asses in here now!" She heard the Lieutenant's voice fading from the corridor as he called for backup.

Coraline kept both eyes on the deviant, watching as it looked towards the trap door, then down at the floor. She could almost see it thinking, wondering if it was going to try and make a break for it. But it just looked down, breathing erratically, eyes darting back and forth. Coraline stepped forward and grabbed it, expecting resistance, but it just let her pull it along back through the attic. She leaned over the open hole in the floor, seeing the Lieutenant with Detective Collins and Officer Miller approach, hands on their weapons, prepared. The trio looked up as they reached the trap door.

"What the hell...?" Lieutenant Anderson's voice trailed off as he saw Coraline holding the deviant. "Can you get it down here?"

Coraline turned to face the deviant as it looked back at her. She stared at it, her face unmoving as it silently refused to obey. Coraline could see this wasn't going to be easy, but she would get it down there one way or another.

"Go down, or I will make you go down." She commanded.

The deviant stared at her defiantly, clearly having no intention of doing as she said. She placed her right hand in the middle of its back between its shoulders and shoved with just enough force to tip it forwards, grateful that it came to its senses at the last second and caught its fall so as not to face-plant the floor. Coraline followed quickly after it, just in case, but the DPD officers seized it and cuffed it before it could make any rash decisions.

Coraline stood in the corridor as Officer Miller hauled the deviant outside, Detective Collins in tow. She waited on Lieutenant Anderson as he lingered in the corridor, looking at her. She turned her head to face him, raising her brows slightly, questioningly. He made a sound that was somewhere between a scoff and a grunt before following the entourage. Coraline couldn't stop the slight smile from pulling up one side of her lips. The Lieutenant tried to hide it, but it was written all over his face plain enough for even Coraline to see: he was impressed. Coraline fell in step behind him once more, pleased with herself.

 _/ / /_ **MISSION SUCCESSFUL**

* * *

 **That was the longest crime scene ever.**

 **Hope you're enjoying this so far!  
**

 **Please review and let me know!**


	4. Coraline, Interrupted

**CORALINE'S BACK BITCHES!**

 **If you read my authors note a little while ago, you'll know this interrogation chapter _kicked. my. ass._**

 **But it's here now and I'm finally happy with how it turned out (with some extensive proofreading from my editors :P)**

 **I have also updated the first three chapters, mostly the way I wrote the coding so it all matches with how I write it now.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR - Coraline, Interrupted

* * *

NOVEMBER 6TH, 2038

AM 12:41:05

* * *

"Why'd you kill him?"

Silence.

"What happened before you took that knife?"

Silence.

Lieutenant Anderson shot a weary look through the one-way mirror, clearly growing ever more impatient with the android across from him.

"How long were ya in the attic?"

More silence.

"Why didn't you even try to run away?"

Still nothing.

The Lieutenant snapped his fingers in front of the android's face. The observation room was so quiet you could've heard a pin drop. Coraline watched from where she stood against the back wall as the Lieutenant lost his temper. He drew his hands up and slammed them deftly upon the steel table.

"Say something, goddammit!"

Carlos Ortiz's android didn't so much as flinch. It sat almost perfectly still, like a statue, save for its slight tremor and the programmed intermittent blink of its eyes. Put out by the android's persistent silence, the Lieutenant gave up, rising from his seat with a shake of his head.

"Fuck it, I'm outta here."

He made his way through the security door and soon reappeared in the observation room, dragging his hand lazily across the electronic door controls. Coraline turned to watch him saunter, scowling, across the room.

"We're wastin' our time interrogating a machine, we're gettin' nothin' out of it!" He proclaimed, slumping down in one of the seats before the mirror, next to another DPD officer.

 _/ / /_ **MILLER, CHRIS**

 _/ / /_ Born: 09/30/2009 / / Police Officer, Detroit Police Department

 _/ / /_ Criminal record: None

"Could always try roughing it up a little," The man to Coraline's right offered. "After all, it's not human."

She turned towards him as he spoke and observed him.

 _/ / /_ **DT. REED, GAVIN**

 _/ / /_ Born: 10/07/2002 / / Detective, Detroit Police Department

 _/ / /_ Criminal record: None

Coraline hadn't been officially introduced to the detective and had yet to interact with him, save for the scowl he gave her when he noticed her following Lieutenant Anderson into the precinct. She was accustomed to such reception from humans.

"Androids don't feel pain," She politely informed him, noting the way his face shifted from indifference to annoyance at her speaking. "You would only damage it, and that wouldn't make it talk."

Coraline turned her attention back to the android in question. It was still sitting with its head down, eyes darting, fists clenched, otherwise unmoving.

"Deviants also have a tendency to self-destruct when they're in stressful situations." She added.

"Okay, smartass..."

Detective Reed pushed himself up from his leaning position against the wall and wandered closer to where Coraline stood.

"What should we do then?" He asked with a condescending tone.

Coraline hesitated, contemplating their options for a moment before answering.

"I could try questioning it."

The Detective suddenly burst into loud, slightly obnoxious laughter at her suggestion, returning to leaning against the wall with a dismissive wave of his hand. Coraline ignored his response, instead turning back to observe the deviant on the other side of the mirror. It was only a moment before Lieutenant Anderson waving his own hand caught her eye.

"What do we have to lose?" He turned his head back towards Coraline. "Go ahead, suspect's all yours."

She watched the deviant a few seconds more, observing its every move, before turning and exiting the observation room without another word. The artificial skin on her left hand receded as she interfaced with the door controls, letting herself in to the interrogation room.

 _/ / / Objective log updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **EXTRACT CONFESSION**

She scanned the room upon entry before her eyes rested on the deviant. He didn't acknowledge her presence in any way. Her eyes flicked down to the case file resting at the edge of the table closest to her. She approached cautiously, wary of the state of the deviant's software. She slid the file open with one hand and separated the sheets of photographs from the crime scene inside, giving them a once over and updating her database with any new information she could find, before closing it again.

She glanced briefly at the one-way mirror of which she was now on the opaque side of, knowing the three humans on the other side would be carefully watching her every move. She understood that Lieutenant Anderson was allowing her to get more involved than he probably should, and she was not going to pass up the opportunity to exercise her specialized programming, whilst also proving to them what she could do. She had to succeed.

She seated herself at the table, across from Carlos Ortiz's android, making sure to keep her movements slow and cautious. She folded her hands atop the table and immediately got to work analyzing the android.

Its LED was cycling steadily yellow, which at least meant the android was no longer in immediate distress and probably wouldn't self-destruct as long as it wasn't provoked. She already knew its model number; an HK400, a typical housekeeping model. Dried blood belonging to the recently deceased Carlos Ortiz was splattered across its standard-issue CyberLife uniform, in patterns in keeping with the wounds she'd observed on the victim's body. The damage caused by the baseball she'd discovered to have been wielded by Ortiz was obvious on the android's right arm, but there were other, stranger markings on its left.

 _/ / /_ **BURN MARKS**

 _/ / /_ Repeated marking over 16 months

 _/ / /_ Caused by cigarettes

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

This wasn't the first time this android had been abused by its owner. Consistent abuse over such an extensive period of time was a likely contributor to its sudden violent outbreak. But what Coraline didn't understand was _why_. She needed to find out.

She had never interrogated a suspect before, and her previous one-on-one encounters with other androids hadn't always gone smoothly, but she was programmed with the ability to use traditional interrogation techniques to extract a confession. That coupled with the fact that her programmer had left her some leeway for decision making, provided of course that it never conflicted with her mission directive.

 _/ / / Objective log updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **REACH OPTIMAL STRESS FOR CONFESSION**

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: 35%

She knew she had to raise the android's stress levels to within a certain percentage in order to convince it to give her the information she needed. There were, of course, other options, such as forcefully extracting the information from its memory, but she would save that for her last resort. There were several ways she could go about this, but first she would need to gain its attention. She leant forward in her chair slightly.

"My name is Coraline," She introduced herself in a gentle tone. "What about you? What's your name?"

No response.

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: v 31%

Coraline's eyes rested on its yellow LED.

"I detect an instability in your program. It can trigger an unpleasant feeling. Like fear in humans."

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: v 27%

This was not working.

Deciding to change her tactics, Coraline reached to her right and slid the case file in between them on the table, opening it up to the photographs, laying them out for the deviant to see.

"You recognize him?" She questioned almost rhetorically. "It's Carlos Ortiz. Stabbed, twenty-eight times."

She shifted the first layer of photographs away so it could see the words 'I AM ALIVE' she'd found written on the wall earlier that night.

" _That_ was written on the wall in his blood."

She saw no physical response from the deviant, but its LED betrayed its distress at the images by clearly flashing red a few times, before cycling back to yellow.

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: ^ 31%

Her eyes fell upon the flickering skin on its forearms where it was damaged too badly to cover the white plastic beneath.

"You're damaged," She stated, eyes returning to its face. "Did your owner do that? Did he beat you?"

As she leaned forward slightly, she saw it again; the undeniable flashes of red.

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: ^ 35%

It was becoming increasingly clear to Coraline that there was much more to this situation than could be observed from the crime scene. Whatever had happened to stun this android into silence, it had the answers she was looking for. She had definitely gotten its attention, now she needed to determine her approach.

 _/ / /_ **COMFORT**

 _/ / /_ **REASSURE**

 _/ / /_ **THREATEN**

 _/ / /_ **BLAME**

The android was in obvious distress. Scared; terrified, even. Coraline didn't fully grasp the extent to which deviants felt their 'emotions', so she ruled out an aggressive approach for now so as not to destabilize it further.

"I'm not going to hurt you," She reassured the android, holding up her hands from where they rested. "I just need to ask you some questions, so we can understand what happened."

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: v 31%

It was clear that a more gentle approach wasn't yielding the results she needed, so she opted for something a little more aggressive.

"You're accused of murder. You know you're not allowed to endanger human life under any circumstances. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

The android remained unmoving, LED still cycling yellow.

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: ^ 35%

She was going back and forth with no end in sight. She knew she had to change her tactics if she wanted to get anything out of it.

"You've refused to talk since they arrested you. If you don't cooperate, they'll do things the hard way."

The android didn't move, but Coraline distinctly saw its eyes dart to the right in response to her warning.

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: ^ 38%

She decided to keep the pressure on.

"You don't seem to understand the level of trouble you're in," She leaned closer, squaring her shoulders on to his. "You _killed_ a _human_. They'll tear you apart, and they won't stop until they hear what they want."

Its LED flashed red again, longer, more rapidly.

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: ^ 43%

When its LED remained red, Coraline decided that may have been a little too much and dialed it back down.

"It doesn't have to be that way. I can help you, but you've got to trust me. I need you to tell me what happened. Please."

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: v 39%

It still didn't look up, didn't move from its position. Coraline was starting to see why Lieutenant Anderson had given in so quickly. But she wasn't a human. She could do this, she just had to break its resolve.

"If you won't talk, I'm going to have to probe your memory."

"NO!" It suddenly protested, head shooting up, frightened eyes meeting hers. "No, please don't do that!"

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: ^ 44%

That was more than enough indicator to Coraline that there was something in its memories it didn't want her to see. She could probe it and find out, but she knew she was being watched by the humans, and thought trying a more traditional approach would be beneficial.

The deviant, now seemingly capable of movement, turned its head towards the mirror on its left. It was visibly shaking and there were small gasps of breath escaping its lips, like the sounds humans made when they shivered with cold. Its dark eyes were wide and restless.

"What... what are they gonna do to me?"

Coraline tilted her head to the right and narrowed her eyes slightly at the android in curiosity. It must have known what would happen to it once it left that room, but the question seemed to her to be far too genuine. The android suddenly sat upright, like it had only realized that fact at that exact moment.

"They're gonna destroy me, aren't they?"

Its eyes fell upon Coraline's at the whispered question. The android looked so... frightened, so fearful. It took her by surprise, as deviants often did, and she felt a strange pull. It was not an unfamiliar sensation, though the last time she remembered experiencing it was...

Coraline slowly shook her head.

"No," She reassured, deciding it was probably best to placate it on this, despite knowing that lying hadn't worked out well for her in the past. "I think they just want to understand. They know your master abused you. It wasn't your fault."

It did seem placated by her words, despite the fact they were contradicting what she'd told him only moments ago. However, she didn't think there was much that wouldn't escape this android's notice in its current state of distress.

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: v 40%

Its eyes were back on the table, seeming to think about something for a moment.

"Why did you tell them you found me?" It asked, returning its gaze to hers. "Why couldn't you just have left me there?"

Its question had an undertone of accusation. Coraline narrowed her eyes again, unsure as to why this android thought she _had_ a choice in the matter. She was obeying her orders, nothing more.

"I was programmed to hunt deviants like you," She explained. "I was just fulfilling my purpose."

It seemed... unsatisfied by her answer. Its head dropped again and Coraline was contemplating her next response when it spoke.

"I don't wanna die."

It looked up at her with an expression Coraline didn't have the capacity to describe. She couldn't understand what this deviant felt, it wasn't something for her to understand. For a moment, she was transported back to the rooftop, with a PL600 and a little girl.

 _'I don't wanna die...'_

It was a phrase she'd heard many times from deviants. They all shared the same fear of death, of the unknown, just like humans. But if this android was so afraid to die, why didn't it _run_? She still had too many questions, and she knew her time was growing short.

"Then talk to me."

"I-I..." The deviant stuttered, its mouth opening and closing like it wanted to speak, but something was physically stopping it. "I can't."

It slowly lowered its twitching head once more and Coraline knew this wasn't working. She needed to make it talk, one way or another.

 _/ / /_ **PRESSURE IT**

 _/ / /_ **PROBE ITS MEMORY**

 _/ / /_ **CONVINCE IT**

She didn't think pressuring it was the most logical option at that moment, and she didn't know how it would react to her attempting to probe its memory, which left her with only one option...

She leaned closer to the deviant.

"If you don't talk, they're going to tear you apart and analyze you piece by piece," She warned with a stern tone. "They're going to destroy you, do you understand?"

Her threat certainly seemed to make it... uncomfortable.

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: ^ 44%

She still wasn't close enough. Her frustration was starting to build.

"Ok, then, don't talk," She sat back in her seat, waving her hands dismissively. "Why do I care, after all? I mean, I'm not the one accused of murder, right?"

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: ^ 49%

She was almost there, she just had to convince it to talk to her.

"Confess and I'll protect you," She knew this was a lie, perhaps even a transparent one. She had no power to protect this android from the humans, but perhaps telling it what it wanted to hear would work. "I promise, I won't let anyone hurt you if you just tell me what happened."

Its eyes flicked up to her momentarily, darting about her face like they were searching for something. She tried to mold her face into a reassuring expression, but its eyes dropped again.

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: v 44%

Damn.

 _/ / / Objective log updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **CONVINCE FAILED**

 _/ / /_ **RECONSIDER APPROACH**

Coraline's frustration was building. She couldn't understand why it wouldn't just tell her the truth. It certainly seemed afraid of the consequences it would face by remaining silence, though she knew it would face them no matter what it said. Perhaps it knew that, too. Maybe it understood the situation better than she'd thought. It wouldn't talk because it knew it wouldn't matter.

Now Coraline knew what she had to do. The entire time she'd been observing this deviant, the thing it'd responded to more than anything was her threats of destruction. Maybe if she could terrify it enough, it would prioritize preserving itself and confess. Talking it out of it wasn't working... but maybe scaring it out of it would.

It was time to get aggressive.

With a sharp and sudden movement, Coraline grabbed the case file and slammed it down on the table in front of it with a loud _thud_. She distinctly saw the deviant jump in surprise.

" _Twenty-eight stab wounds_!" She shouted at it. "You didn't want to leave him a chance, huh?"

She got up from her seat and slowly began to walk around the table.

"Did you feel anger? Hate?"

The deviant said nothing, but she saw its LED steadily flashing red now and its tremor had increased.

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: ^ 54%

Well, that had elicited a response. She kept going.

"He was bleeding. Begging you for mercy. But you stabbed him," She pointed at it and it flinched. "Again, and again, and again!"

"Please..." It whimpered. "Please leave me alone..."

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: ^ 64%

She could physically see its distress rising through its movements. It was working, she had to keep the pressure on. She stopped to its right and leant down so her face was inches from his, resting her right hand upon the table.

"I know you killed him," She accused menacingly. "Why don't _you_ say it?"

"Please, please stop..."

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: ^ 74%

Its stress levels were growing dangerously high, but she couldn't stop now. She could break it.

She walked around its seat to its left side, her back now to the mirror and slammed a hand down on the table, watching it jump.

"Just say 'I killed him'! Is it that hard to say?!"

"Stop it, stop!" It pleaded.

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: ^ 84%

 _/ / /_ _Warning:_

 _/ / /_ _Stress level critical_

Its stress was way too high, but she just needed to push a little more. She was sure this was going to work if she just kept pushing. She grabbed the deviant by its collar with one hand and forced it to face her where it sat, trying to look as terrifying as possible.

"I _know_ you killed him, just admit it! Tell me you killed him, and this will all stop!"

"Stop, please!"

She yanked it up out of its chair as far as its cuffs would allow, their faces inches apart.

"Just say you killed him! JUST SAY IT!"

The deviant stopped pleading. It stopped whimpering. It did nothing but stare at Coraline and she could see the fear in its eyes so clearly. Silence had overtaken it once again.

 _/ / /_ Level of stress: ^ 94%

 _/ / /_ _Warning:_

 _/ / /_ _Stress level critical_

Damn. She'd pushed it too far.

She released it and dropped it back into its seat, scowling at it, and herself. She started to turn and walk back around the table, intending to give up and leave the room.

"He tortured me every day."

Coraline stopped and slowly turned back towards the deviant, who was once again sitting perfectly still, head down, in its seat.

"I did whatever he told me, but... there was always something wrong."

Realizing she hadn't failed, Coraline slowly moved to retake her seat, folding her hands on the table and listening intently to what it said.

"Then one day... he took a bat and started hitting me. For the first time, I felt... scared," It said the word softly, as though it was unfamiliar. "Scared he might destroy me, scared I might _die_."

Coraline listened silently. The only movements she made were the tilting of her head and the narrowing of her eyes, studying the deviant as it spoke.

"So, I... grabbed the knife and I stabbed him in the stomach." It looked up at Coraline. "I felt better, so I stabbed him again, and again... until he collapsed."

Coraline's brows furrowed slightly at the deviant's words. It was what she wanted it to tell her, but as she heard its confession of murder, she couldn't but help but be... unsettled.

"There was blood everywhere..." It whispered finally.

There was a short silence, and Coraline realized quickly that if she wanted to ask it questions, now was her chance.

 _/ / /_ **WRITING**

 _/ / /_ **STATUETTE**

 _/ / /_ **rA9**

"Why did you write 'I am alive' on the wall?"

"He used to tell me I was nothing. That I was just 'a piece of plastic'. I had to write it, to tell him he was wrong."

Then this deviant, like the others, truly believed it was alive.

"The sculpture in the bathroom, you made it, right? What does it represent?"

"It's an offering... an offering so I'll be saved."

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

Coraline's brows furrowed further.

"The sculpture was an offering... an offering to whom?"

"To rA9," It spoke matter-of-factly, as though this was something she should have known. "Only rA9 can save us."

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

' _rA9_ '. It was what she'd seen written on the tiles in the bathroom of Carlos Ortiz's house. It was a new factor in this case... she'd never seen that kind of obsessive writing by a deviant before, and certainly didn't know the significance of it.

"rA9... it was written on the bathroom wall. What does it mean?"

"The day shall come when we will no longer be slaves. No more threats, no more humiliation."

The deviant leaned forward and stared right at Coraline.

"We will... be... the masters."

 _/ / / Database updated / / /_

Coraline's eyes narrowed again. She'd heard other deviants talk of being slaves, but didn't understand what it meant. They were androids, they were designed to serve humans. That was just how it was, how it had always been.

"rA9," She insisted. " _Who is_ rA9?"

The deviant didn't answer, either because he wouldn't, or he didn't know. Coraline decided she wasn't going to get any more out of it on that subject, and moved to her most burning question.

"Why did you hide in the attic, instead of running away?"

"I didn't know what to do. For the first time, there was no one there to tell me, so..." It trailed off, eyes darting about. "I was scared. So I hid."

That word again: _scared_. All deviants spoke of fear, of being scared to die. It was the trait they most shared in common with humans; a fear of the end, of ceasing to exist. A fear androids were not designed to have. Coraline had to find out what triggered this.

"When did you start feeling emotion?"

"Before, he used to beat me and I never said anything… but one day, I realized it wasn't… _fair_!"

Coraline's brows pushed together. This wasn't something she'd encountered before. A deviant having a sense of fairness, of equality. It was an entirely new line of thought.

"I felt anger… _hatred_ … and then I knew what I had to do."

Coraline stared at the android and it stared back at her. It was clear to her that this deviant may have been unlike any she'd encountered before. It didn't lash out because it had been 'betrayed' or 'discarded' like others she'd seen… it had grown tired of being mistreated. It spoke like its actions were driven purely by revenge. It hadn't loved the human who wronged it… it _hated_ him. She stared into its eyes and wondered.

 _What_ are _you?_

 _/ / / Objective log updated / / /_

 _/ / /_ **CONFESSION OBTAINED**

Coraline pulled herself from her thoughts and turned towards the mirror on her right.

"I'm done."

She stood and moved towards the door, opening it with her left hand, and stopped when she heard a terrible crashing sound from behind her. Her head whipped around and she saw the blue blood splattered across the steel table from a fresh wound in its head. It lifted its head and brought it down on the table with another _crash_.

It was self-destructing.

It was only a brief moment before Lieutenant Anderson, Detective Reed and Officer Miller rushed into the room and Coraline stood aside for them. They stood there, staring for a moment, clearly unsure of what to do. Detective Reed suddenly grabbed Officer Miller and pushed him towards the deviant.

"Stop it, goddammit!"

He tried to yank the deviant, pull it, do anything to stop it from destroying itself, but it was fruitless.

"I… I-I can't! I can't stop it!"

Coraline knew it would destroy itself if it kept going, and while it had confessed, CyberLife would not be pleased if the only deviant that had ever been taken into police custody was destroyed before they could analyze it. She had to stop it.

"That's enough," She ordered. "You need to stop, now!"

What happened next, she never saw coming. Officer Miller fumbled with his keys to unlock its cuffs, and the second its left hand was free, it grabbed the officer's loaded firearm and started to raise it.

"WATCH OUT!" Lieutenant Anderson warned.

The humans dropped to the floor, but the deviant wasn't thinking about them. They weren't its target. Coraline didn't even have time to initialize a memory upload before the deviant pointed the gun straight at her and pulled the trigger. She felt the impact of the bullet striking her perfectly between the eyes, her blue blood spraying the wall behind her, before her body fell limp and crumpled to the floor.

 _/ / /_ _ **W4RN1NG**_

 _/ / / Bi0compq/ent #1381h criuica!ly d.m4ged_

 _/ / / Prhmary proqescing un1t crvtikally dawaGed_

 _/ / / m3mory vnit cjitic4lly .amagEd_

 _/ / / 4ll sy.t$ms ofFline / / /_

 _/ / /_ _ **D*NG3R**_

 _/ / / Sh^tdo.n immqneyt / / /_

She heard another shot go off and the deviant's body fall.

"Holy shit!" Lieutenant Anderson exclaimed.

 _/ / / Conmen6ing sh/tdown… / / /_

* * *

 **Sorry, Coraline.**

 **Hope it was worth the wait!**


	5. Update!

I am the worst fan fiction writer ever! XD

I have been writing LOADS for Coraline, just not the parts I need to be writing so I can post them.

I've also been super busy with my life in general. I moved this year and started a full time job, and recently attended PAX Aus and cosplayed as Coraline, which was dope! (Yes, the new cover is me as Coraline!)

This story is still not dead! I promise there is more coming soon. I'm going for just writing everything out first, then uploading it week by week once it's all done. Stay tuned!


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